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Monday, September 12, 2016

Have you ever checked something off your To-Do list because you're about to do it anyway and it makes you happy just to cross it off, then you get distracted by soemthing or don't feel like doing it any more but you never come back to it because you already crossed it off you list? That's the story of this blog post.

I finished and posted the process video for Mission Inspiration June a couple of weeks ago. I even deleted the first video, re-edited it, and reposted it and still somehow forgot to write about it. I've mentioned I'm hot mess these days right?

Anyway, if you've read my otherMissionInspirationposts, you might think I love every prompt based page I do. Contrariwise, I'd like to introduce you to "Stressed and Serene".

I do not love this spread. Looking at it makes me anxious, like I want to tidy it up. There's busy-ness and tension everywhere I try to focus. So many of the prompts didn't turn out the way I wanted/expected. When I made marks with household items, the paint was so thick every color basically looks black and none of the different shapes showed up clearly. The flying watch face stamp did not imprint clearly and mostly creates a mess. Pasting the food labels color side up, which I thought would make fun background instead was really ugly and I spent most of the time trying to cover it up with other elements, including an overload of stenciled texture paste.

I do like some parts, like my gel pen doodling. Also, I enjoyed pasting down the watch faces and I loved that I used this method of fulfilling the "glue small circles of paper randomly" prompt even though I don't love the overall look. Perhaps the biggest positive point I can give the whole thing is that it accidentally but perfectly lives up to it's title/sentiment. I'm stressed when I try to look at it as a whole but if I take just one element, say the coffee mug, I'm actually pretty calm and happy.

In the end, you win some and you lose some. I'm marking this one as a draw. Enjoy the process video!

And even though when I finished this spread, I only need to follow July's prompts and then August's and I'd be all caught up, life happened, and I still need to finish those and September's now. I guess I better get back to work!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Remember that one time I said I was a mess and I'd talk about it later? Welcome to later!

I don't even know where to begin, it's like every week brings it's own nearly impossible challenges that complicates every thing I need and want to do. One week, I was plagued with tech problems that required a trip to The Apple Store (Is that a proper noun? I obviously don't know) and two more days of storage and database disentanglement. The next week, when I thought I was all free and clear to get back to work, I was plagued by migraine after migraine. If you've ever had one, I don't need to tell you how all life can come to a stop with migraine. If you've never had a migraine, thank your lucky stars. Even without the pain, the light and aural sensitivity is enough to knock you out. Or at least me anyway.

At the same time, I'm trying to balance all my platforms and content, which is a challenge in and of itself as I'm use to working based on my mood, not on what content I need for separate platforms. For example, the writing process video I posted recently came about because I wanted to write, which doesn't naturally lend itself to exciting videos, but I needed to post something to YouTube to keep up with my schedule. Then of course, making YouTube videos comes with it's own challenges on top of discovering my own unique video style to suit my tastes and processes.

All of this is to say that if you see videos appear then disappear, or empty blog posts or maybe even something completely different or weird, then it's all part of me getting a handle on . . . well, life in general, but specifically all the platforms, content, and projects I want to share with the world. Please bear with me while I work out the kinks and find my stride. Thank you so much for all the support. Remember to check out my YouTube channel (subscribe, like, or leave a comment) or leave me a message down below for any tips, comments, or suggestions.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Back when I was planning the content for my YouTube channel, I knew I wanted to do writing videos eventually but I wasn't sure what exactly they would entail. I didn't think on it too much because I knew I would be trying to get a lot of art projects done and I knew those would be the videos I'd be making first. However, as we are moving ever so swiftly into fall, I keep wanting and needing to write. I don't know if it's something ingrained from years of school starting in the fall or some strange natural rhythm I have where I do most of my writing from September to December but that's the way it seems to go for me every year. When I went out this morning and wasn't immediately mugged by humidity, I know it was that time again. Autumn = Writing.

I've had short story idea that's been bouncing in my head this week. I also needed to post a video today. So, I thought I'd try something different. Instead of offering tips or making a vlog about writing, I'd make a process video the same way I would with an art journal page or, lately, canvases. I know writing isn't as visually dramatic as a painting or collage but I do take blank paper and creatively alter it with ink, so why not try out the same video process?

Making this video has given me a chance to try out one option for a writing-centric video long before NaNoWriMo in November, when I will definitely be consumed with my writing activities, doing little, if anything, else, and all my content on all my platforms will be writing related. Remember, The Horrophiles? All fiction, all the time with long stretches of inflated angst and so many thousands of words a day. It's coming up again, I'm already thinking about what I might write, how to share it, and what video content to accompany it. This process video is just one of those ideas.

In the end, I wrote for just over two hours. I don't know how many words I wrote since my Moleskin cahier doesn't calculate that for me, lol. For the video, I sped the action to four times the original pace and cut out any fussing, like adjusting the blankets, and distractions like channel surfing and playing with office supplies. I'm pretty sure that I've got the beginning of "Through the Spiderweb Door" finished. Next, I'll proceed to some middle action where Jocelyn meets the invisible voices and Dariham. I'm not sure if I'll be sharing the rough draft or any more videos in this process video style for this particular story.

I am not sure how entertaining or informative the video is but I've been in such a funk creatively lately that it's easier to work on anything if I let myself do what I want to do, instead of trying to force another project. Today I wanted to write. Write I did. I feel much better, like I can breathe deeper. I'm sure Il' be back to my regularly scheduled programming, another art journal process video, by Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what kind of writing videos you might like to see in the comment section below :D